Women have long been a formidable force in the world ofhorror movies, even if their contributions consistently get overlooked in favor of their male counterparts. There are numerousclassic horror films directed by women, from the early psychological horror of Ida Lupino’sThe Hitch-Hiker, to favorites like Mary Lambert’sPet Semataryand Mary Harron’sAmerican Psycho, to name just a few. In more recent years, there has been a boom of women filmmakers, including Jennifer Kent, director ofThe Babadook, Julia Ducournau, the woman behindTitane, and Ana Lily Amirpour, who directedA Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.
And yet, despite being excellent additions to the horror canon, there are several films directed by women that haven’t received the attention they deserve.These films were all released in the last ten years, but they continue to fly under the radar. They range from neo-slashers to folk revenge tales, horror comedies and satires, creature features, and intense thrill rides. There’s something for every type of horror fan among these criminallyunderrated films.
The Ranger
Cast
The Ranger is a 2018 horror thriller following Chelsea and her friends who, after fleeing a failed encounter with law enforcement, seek refuge in a remote family cabin. There, they encounter a park ranger with a mysterious connection to Chelsea’s history, adding tension to their escape.
The Rangeris a good, old-fashioned slasher movie featuring many of the expected tropes, many of which get subverted in interesting ways. The film follows Chelsea, a pink-haired punk who gets mixed up in a serious crime after a raid on a punk show goes sideways. On the run, she and her friends decide to hole up in Chelsea’s family cabin, where a mystery from Chelsea’s past and a sinister, code-quoting park ranger with an unhealthy love of nature awaits.
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Viewers familiar with the slasher subgenre instinctively sense Chelsea will be the film’s final girl. She keeps her wits about her when in the woods, while her friends just want to party and goof off. Chelsea grew up learning to respect nature, and this sets her apart from the others in the eyes of the unnamed ranger, especially when he gets down to the gruesome business of ridding his beloved forest of invading scum. Unfortunately for him,Chelsea also knows how to fight back, making her a truly formidable slasher heroine.
XX
XX is a horror anthology film featuring four short stories directed by Annie Clark, Karyn Kusama, Roxanne Benjamin, and Jovanka Vuckovic. Released in 2017, the film brings together different tales centered around the themes of horror and suspense. Each segment, connected through a stop-motion animated interlude, explores various narratives and stylistic approaches within the genre, showcasing the distinctive voices of its all-female directors.
XXis ananthology horror filmfeaturing four separate stories plus a framing sequence, all of which are directed by women. One of the tales is an adaptation of horror writer Jack Ketchum’s short story “The Box,” while another, a dark horror comedy, marks the directorial debut of Annie Clark, otherwise known as St. Vincent. There’s also a short film from Karyn Kusama, director of the underrated horror movieJennifer’s Body.
Each short film in the anthology offers viewers something completely different, giving the film a great sense of variety that sometimes lacks in other anthology movies. Also, unlike numerous other anthology films, each entry inXXis quite good, including the stop-motion animated framing story directed by Sofia Carrillo, which offers some of the film’s most striking and strange visuals. Overall,XXis a fantastic funhouse ride full of disturbing and darkly funny moments, and it deserves to be as popular asCreepshow,Trick r’ Treat, and theV/H/Sseries.
She Will
She Will is a 2022 psychological horror film following aging film star Veronica, who retreats to the Scottish countryside for recovery. Accompanied by her nurse, Desi, Veronica encounters mysterious forces granting her the power to seek revenge through her dreams.
Part gothic folk horror, part #MeToo revenge fantasy,She Willis the impressive feature directorial debut of Charlotte Colbert. The story centers on Veronica, played by the venerable Alice Krige, who realizes she can control events in reality via her dreams. Featuring a chilling atmosphere aided by Jamie Ramsay’s lush cinematography and Clint Mansell’s haunting score,She Willis rich with psychological dread and unsettling imagery.Colbert, along with co-writer Kitty Percy, proves herself highly adept at crafting a beautifully macabre narrative.
She Willexplores themes of aging, particularly as it relates to women in Hollywood, who get tossed aside whenever they reach a certain age.
She Willexplores themes of aging, particularly as it relates to women in Hollywood, who get tossed aside whenever they reach a certain age. Through the character of Hathbourne, played by Malcolm McDowell, the film also tackles how abusers gaslight their victims, especially with the power imbalance between the characters. Veronica’s supernatural abilities become a reclamation of her power over Hathbourne, though they’re not without their consequences, showing the dangerous side of vengeance.
Prevenge
Prevenge follows Ruth, a pregnant woman compelled by her unborn child to embark on a spree of violence. The film, released in 2017, explores themes of societal blame and maternal instincts, creating a dark narrative as Ruth navigates her actions dictated by her vengeful, yet unborn, offspring.
Written, directed by and starring Alice Lowe while she was actually pregnant,Prevengetells the story of Ruth, a widowed woman heavy with child who embarks on a revenge-fueled murder spree, believing her unborn child is telling her to kill. A wickedly funny satire as well as an effective slice and dice,Prevengegleefully goes over the top, all while maintaining a dry and distinctly British wit.Fans of Shaun of the Dead will undoubtedly lovePrevenge.
Lowe especially shines in the lead role as well as the voice of the unborn baby, but the film sports an impressive supporting cast playing Ruth’s various victims, including Kate Dickie (The Witch), Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones), and Kayvan Novak (What We Do in the Shadows).Prevengedeserves to be a cult favorite, but despite everything it has going for it, including solid reviews, the film rarely gets discussed as one of thegreat horror comedies of the last 15 years.
The Love Witch
The Love Witch, directed by Anna Biller, follows Elaine, a modern-day witch, who uses magic to make men fall in love with her. Set in a meticulously crafted 1960s aesthetic, the film explores themes of love, desire, and gender dynamics through a unique blend of horror and satire. Samantha Robinson stars as Elaine, whose quest for romance leads to unforeseen complications.
The Love Witchis a visually stunning horror satire, and easily one of the best films of the 2010s, regardless of genre. The story revolves around Elaine (Samantha Robinson), a witch who uses love spells on unsuspecting men, but who is repulsed whenever her lovers become emotional or clingy. Writer, director, editor, composer, and production designer Anna Biller utilizes the style and color palette of a bygone era juxtaposed against a modern setting to evoke a sense of history repeating. Patriarchal ideas of love from that time remain prevalent despite feminist advances.
On top of being a psychologically provocative film brimming with social commentary,The Love Witchfeatures some of the most incredible imagery of any modern horror film.Shot on 35mm by cinematographer M. David Mullen, the film’s aesthetic beautifully captures the look and feel of 1960s cinema. The incredible photography combined with Biller’s meticulous production design has the effect of transporting the viewer not only to the past, but into a kind of fantasy realm — a dream of the ‘60s, rather than a realistic telling.
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person follows Sasha, a sensitive young vampire who struggles with killing for sustenance. When her parents halt her blood supply, she forms a unique bond with Paul, a suicidal teenager. Together, they embark on a journey to address Paul’s final wishes overnight.
Directed by Ariane Louis-Seize from a script by Louis-Seize and Christine Doyon,Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Personis a delightful coming-of-age film about a teenage bloodsucker named Sasha (Sara Montpetit) who cannot bring herself to kill for food. She encounters Paul (Félix-Antoine Bénard), a suicidal young man who learns Sasha’s true nature and volunteers to be her first meal.The film sports a morbid sense of humor that elicits infectious laughter from the audience.
Montpetit and Bénard are superb in their respective roles, and they have charming chemistry together that is an absolute joy to watch. Also of note is Noémie O’Farrell as Sasha’s cousin Denise, who tries to teach Sasha how to hunt, with hilariously disastrous results.Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Personis as heartwarming as it is funny, and it’s overall an impressive debut feature film from Louis-Seize, who crafts films like a seasoned pro rather than a relative newcomer.
Hatching
In Hatching, 12-year-old gymnast Tinja (Siiri Solalinna) is desperate to please her image-obsessed mother, whose popular blog ‘Lovely Everyday Life’ presents their family’s idyllic existence as manicured suburban perfection. One day, after finding a wounded bird in the woods, Tinja brings its strange egg home, nestles it in her bed, and nurtures it until it hatches. The creature that emerges becomes her closest friend and a living nightmare.
A film blending elements of the creature feature and thebody horror filmsof David Cronenberg, particularlyThe Fly,Hatchingcenters on Tinja (Siiri Solalinna), a 12-year-old girl forced into gymnastics by her domineering influencer mother (Sophia Heikkilä).Tinja eventually discovers an egg in the woods that hatches a large, birdlike creature, which Tinja names Alli. The movie utilizes practical special effects to bring Alli to life, a welcome change from the CGI beasties populating most modern horror films.
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Hatchingdoesn’t just feature some amazing animatronic puppetry, it’s also an exploration of image obsession, particularly as it relates to social media. Tinja’s mother is cruel and overbearing in her relentless pursuit to portray an image of perfection online. Alli, who forms a psychic link with Tinja and begins acting out her surrogate mother’s latent desires, represents a physical and grotesque manifestation of Tinja’s suffering, ultimately showing that abuse generates more abuse.
Piggy
Piggy is a 2022 thriller directed by Carlota Pereda. The film follows Sara, an overweight teenager bullied by her peers in a remote Spanish village. As events escalate during a summer vacation, Sara finds herself entangled in a series of violent confrontations that challenge her sense of morality and self-identity.
Piggycombines slasher tropes with an exploration of the psychological effects of bullying and body-shaming. The film stars Laura Galán, who delivers an absolutely stunning performance as Sara, the narrative’s complex protagonist. Writer-director Carlota Pereda likes to toy with audience expectations as Sara travels down her blood-soaked path.Viewers are never quite sure if the character will fully succumb to her darkest impulsesas she battles ridicule from both her peers and members of her family.
Very little has been written aboutPiggysince its release in 2022, despite it being one of the best horror films to come out that year, and one of the best in general to deal with the terrors of being a teenage girl whose body does not conform to arbitrary societal standards of beauty. Very few movies in the genre handle the subject matter with as much sensitivity and expertise as Pereda’s. Despite this,Piggyseems all but forgotten now, only three years later.
Watcher
Watcher is a psychological thriller following Julia, a young actress who becomes increasingly paranoid after moving to a new city with her husband. As a serial killer terrorizes the area, Julia is unsettled by a shadowy figure watching her from a neighboring building. Released on August 09, 2025.
Starring modern-day scream queen Maika Monroe in another fantastic performance,Watcheris one of the most intense thrillers to come out in recent years. It centers on Julia (Monroe), recently transplanted to Bucharest with her inattentive boyfriend Francis (Karl Glusman). Julia notices a man in the building next door who watches her constantly, and she begins to sense she’s being followed — fears disregarded by Francis as paranoia. First time feature directorChloe Okuno expertly ratchets up the tension as Julia’s world spirals out of control.
While there is a serial killer loose in the city chopping off women’s heads, the biggest monster in the film is Francis, who routinely dismisses Julia and even mocks her mounting suspicions. He’s one of several men in the film that gaslight Julia, insisting the very real threats she faces are all in her head, or just simple misunderstandings. All Julia wants is for Francis to believe her, but he can’t even manage that. For these reasons, Francis is among the worst boyfriends in horror movie history, right up there with Christian fromMidsommar.
Saint Maud
Saint Maud follows Maud, a pious and reclusive nurse, who becomes obsessed with saving the soul of her new patient, Amanda, a retired dancer grappling with terminal illness. Directed by Rose Glass, this psychological horror delves into themes of faith, salvation, and the fine line between devotion and madness. As Maud’s mission intensifies, her grip on reality begins to slip, leading to a gripping and unsettling climax.
While writer-director Rose Glass made a splash with her sophomore feature, the romantic thrillerLove Lies Bleeding, her first filmSaint Maudremains one of the most well-crafted, but criminally-underseen, horror films of the last several years.A subversive take on religious horror films likeThe ExorcistorThe Conjuring,Saint Maudcenters around the titular Maud (Morfydd Clark), who believes she hears the voice and feels the presence of God. The film is a masterclass in slow-burn psychological terror that explores the dangers of loneliness mixed with religious zealotry.
Saint Maudalso contains one of the most gruesome andhaunting horror movie endingsof all time, featuring a brilliant use of a smash cut in its final few seconds. The entire movie is incredible, but this horrifying coda cements Glass’s status as a master filmmaker, and on her feature debut no less. It’s ahorrorending as immediately iconic as those ofThe Wicker Man, Carrie, andNight of the Living Dead, and deserves to be just as widely discussed.
